Ossoff pushes back on 2028 talk as polls show public support
Mr. Ossoff continues to rule out a 2028 bid, as Mr. Emerson’s poll shows his nomination rating at 13%, leading other Democrats nationally.
Jon Ossoff will not run for president in 2028.
At least, that’s what Georgia’s first-term senator said many times when asked.
Ossoff’s name has been in the spotlight as he campaigns in a key reelection race against MAGA supporter and election denier Rep. Mike Collins, making him one of President Donald Trump’s new targets.
In a speech in Marietta on Wednesday, President Trump called Ossoff “Pinky Herman” (a reference to the 1980s character Pee-wee Herman) and a “terrible senator.” But Ossoff rarely responded to the president’s personal attacks, choosing instead to criticize him over the cost of living, the Iran war and attempts at voter suppression.
Ossoff also has fun online. Tiktok videos of Mr. Ossoff’s campaign speeches, television appearances, and questions from Senate hearings have gone viral, racking up millions of views. A video posted by the Democratic Party’s official account of Ossoff asking the Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth has been viewed more than 1 million times, with comments ranging from “That’s my senator” to “Ossoff 2028!” From “He looks…presidential” to “He talks like Obama.”
The senator has repeatedly said he will not run for senior office in 2028 and will instead focus on Georgia. That doesn’t stop others from testing the waters for him.
Emerson to conduct first poll on Ossoff in 2028
An Emerson College poll released on July 23 included Jon Ossoff’s name in the data for the first time as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate.
Names like Gavin Newsom and Andy Beshear have been floated for months, but Ossoff is a latecomer among potential candidates. He is already one of the top candidates.
As a 2028 candidate, Ossoff’s approval rating was 13% in the poll, behind Pete Buttigieg’s 19% and Newsom’s 17%. Ossoff was tied with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, followed by Kamala Harris at 8%, Beshear at 7%, Josh Shapiro at 5%, JB Pritzker at 3% and Ro Khanna at 2%. “Others” accounted for 3%, while “undecided” matched Ossoff’s 13%.
In a July 23 call with reporters, Ossoff spoke about his opponent’s ongoing scandal and said it was believable that Collins did not appear with Trump during the Georgia event to avoid the president having to answer about Collins’ background. Asked if his anti-corruption message resonates outside the state, Ossoff said, “I’m focused on Georgia. As I’ve said before, I have no interest in running for president in 2028.”
Even without Mr. Ossoff, the Democratic field is much larger than the Republican field, which is choosing a successor not only to the presidency but also to the MAGA movement.
Vice President J.D. Vance leads the Republican Party with 39% support, which is down from 52% support in the previous poll at the same time last year. Marco Rubio is followed by 38%, Ron DeSantis with 5%, and 9% undecided.
Democrats have a big lead heading into November
Ossoff may not be looking ahead to the 2028 campaign, but he is focused on his re-election campaign in November. Early polls in Georgia show Mr. Ossoff with a wide lead over Mr. Collins as he faces a House ethics investigation and allegations that he is funding a white supremacist online talent who is also his son-in-law.
And he’s not alone. According to Emerson Polling, Democrats hold an 11 percentage point lead over Republicans in the U.S. legislative vote heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
The support rate for Democrats is 53%, and the support rate for Republicans is 42%. According to public opinion polls, the Democratic Party’s approval rating has increased significantly since July 2025, while the Republican Party’s approval rating has fluctuated but remained at or around the 40% level throughout the year.
Overall, Americans also say the U.S. government spends too much on aid to Israel, with 61% agreeing. Among Democrats, this sentiment was 85%, but dropped to 31% among Republicans.
Emerson also polled support for data centers, finding that 63% of Americans oppose building centers in or near their communities. This is up from 42% in December 2025.
The poll was conducted July 19-20, 2026 and had a margin of error of +/- 2.9%. Emerson said each dataset is weighted by gender, education, race, age, political party registration and region based on U.S. Census parameters and voter file data.
Eileen Wright covers Georgia politics as an Atlanta Connect reporter for USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect team. X Find her at @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
